


someone you love (one-shot)

by Rose1832



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: First Kiss, Fix-It, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Pre-Relationship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-05 23:40:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18376460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose1832/pseuds/Rose1832
Summary: Yugi finds Atem in the kitchen late one night.





	someone you love (one-shot)

When Yugi stirred, the room was still dark.

He wasn’t sure why he was waking up in the middle of the night. He’d been dreaming peacefully about something he couldn’t remember, cozy enough as he lay tucked between his sheets-

His sheets, which were much colder than they were before. Where he’d been tucked in retained a small pocket of warmth, but there was an entire source of heat that seemed to have gone missing. Yugi blinked, still bleary from sleep, shifting to look over at the other side of the bed.

Empty.

The covers had been pulled neatly back into place around him, too, and Yugi didn’t hear any movement from down the hallway. Atem hadn’t just gotten up to use the bathroom; he’d  _ left _ for something. Yugi frowned. What could Atem have been doing at- he turned to glance at the alarm clock that sat dutifully on the corner of their shared nightstand- three in the morning?

Yugi sighed and pulled the covers back over his shoulders. Atem had only been given his new, fully realized body about a week ago. He was probably still re-adjusting to things like sleep cycles, bathroom breaks, waking up thirsty in the middle of the night-

Yugi’s tongue felt heavy in his mouth. The back of his throat was painfully dry.

_ Ah. _ Maybe  _ that  _ was why he’d woken up.

He let himself pout at the idea of having to leave the bed; let himself frown at the idea of shaking off all the sleep that had been nibbling at the edges of his mind in the last several minutes, begging him to roll over and let himself fall back into its clutches. Still, Yugi knew, there was no chance of falling back asleep while painfully aware of just how parched he’d become. Huffing another sigh, Yugi slid himself out from the comfort of his sheets and winced as the cool air in his room brushed against his bare feet. Leaving the window open  _ had  _ been a good idea when there were two of them in one bed.

_ Had  _ been. At the  _ time. _

Pawing at the corners of his eyes, Yugi padded down the narrow staircase into the kitchenette that stood as the buffer zone between what was house and what was game shop. He had gotten out of bed with a grumpy determination to make this as quick as possible, but his mission to hunt down a glass of water was put to a halt by the figure silhouetted against the moonlight that spilled in through the window by the sink.

“Atem?”

The figure stirred, turning to look his way. By the sliver of soft white light that crossed his features, Yugi could make out the well-defined edges and angles in Atem’s face. Here, in the darkness of the kitchen, they looked gentler somehow. Less assertive.

Yugi tried to ignore the way his heart pounded. The body Ra had given Atem was almost as beautiful as the spirit Yugi had felt in the puzzle. Here, standing in Yugi’s kitchen wearing an old pair of Grandpa’s sweatpants and a loose-fitting tee shirt they’d excavated from Yugi’s closet together, he still managed to look ethereal.

“Aibou?” Came a soft voice in reply, a concerned amber gaze turning his direction. “What are you doing up so late?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Yugi retorted, offering a small smile to show he wasn’t serious. He moved towards the sink, grabbing an old plastic cup from the drying rack on the counter. A faded Mickey Mouse grinned up at him.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up when I left,” Atem apologized softly. Yugi knew he really meant it. That was something that never failed to make Yugi melt a little inside: Atem could care very passionately about even the most insignificant things _. _ “I believe I’m still getting used to sleeping in a body again. I thought I might come down here and...think for a while. I thought it might keep me from waking you up with all my twisting and turning, but...” a small upturn at the corners of his lips. “I see that plan didn’t work out quite the way I’d wanted it to.”

Yugi drained the water from the Mickey cup and wiped his lip on his pajama sleeve. He shook his head reassuringly at the reborn Pharaoh. “I woke up on my own. I needed something to drink.” Although Atem seemed relaxed, Yugi couldn’t help the concern that bubbled up inside him. “Is there something on your mind, Atem?”

Atem hummed softly, turning to gaze out the window as he leaned on the edge of the counter. Now, faced fully towards the light, the rings of his eyes appeared bright crimson. If Yugi hadn’t known better, he might have thought they were glowing. “I suppose I’ve been thinking a lot about my time in the puzzle. How strangely time seemed to pass when it first…” A pause. “When  _ you  _ first put the pieces together, Aibou.”

“Are there any particular memories that come to mind?” Yugi moved until the two were standing together. Although he’d never been able to do so before, he’d quickly come to realize that it felt natural to be close to Atem. Far moreso, at least, than standing away from him.

“I...can’t say that it’s specific, exactly,” and the warmth of Atem’s shoulder pressed into Yugi’s own. “It was only a handful of days ago, yet already it feels like an eternity.”

Yugi thought about asking whether or not that was a good thing. Instead, he remained quiet. Somehow, he knew Atem had more that he wanted to say.

After a long moment of silence, Atem let out a small huff of air that could have been a laugh. “Do you remember how I was when you first awakened me?”

“Only a little,” Yugi admitted. “It took me forever to figure out what was happening when I would look back and realize I had gaps in my memory, but…” a small smile lifted the corners of his lips. “From the stories I would hear, you were a force to be reckoned with.”

When Yugi glanced up, he could see that Atem was frowning. His eyes flicked down to meet Yugi’s. They were masking something. Yugi couldn’t make it out before he looked away. “I can’t say that I’m proud of how I was back then,” he continued after a few beats of silence. “I was...reckless. I acted out of a desire for vengeance rather than one for justice. Truthfully, I think even then I was ashamed.”

“Ashamed?” This was all news to Yugi. In all their time together sharing one mind, Atem had never mentioned anything about this. They hadn’t talked about the early days of the puzzle. Yugi had never known they’d needed to.

“From the moment you awakened me, Yugi, I could feel…” he pressed his lips together, mulling over an idea, “I felt a warmth I hadn’t known in a long time. Even through your eyes, I could see the darkness in others’ hearts so clearly. But you…” Atem fixed him with that stare again, that gaze that was keeping its intentions unclear. Although he would trust Atem with his life (and  _ had  _ done many times), Yugi couldn’t help the worry that now churned in the pit of his stomach.

When they’d shared the same mind, Atem would only hide his feelings from Yugi when he was trying to handle something on his own. Still, Yugi had been able to gain some idea of what events they might have seen together that would cause Atem to worry.

But now...

“No matter how hard I looked into your soul,” Atem continued, “No matter how much time passed, I couldn’t find even the smallest shadow. At first I thought I must have been missing something, but the longer I tried…” He broke off, turning away from Yugi yet again. “The longer I tried, the more I began to realize that the darkest part of your heart was the corner I had taken for myself. I had seen all the darkness in the world around us, and had long since given up on the good of humanity. But you, Yugi...you were the beacon of hope I had been waiting for, and I was taking advantage of your physical presence to exact petty vengeance.” He paused, heaving a deep breath. “I knew I wasn’t worthy of your acknowledgement, but at the very least…” It might have been a trick of the shadows, but Yugi swore he could see the ghost of a smile tugging at Atem’s lips. “At the very least, Yugi, I’m glad I was able to protect you.”

Yugi found himself at a loss for words. Had Atem been keeping this bottled up, all this time, feeling guilty and ashamed of who he’d been all those years ago? How long had he been wanting to confess this to Yugi, as if asking for forgiveness over something Yugi hadn’t even known was a problem?

Had he really seen himself this way for so long?

His heart clenched. No wonder Atem had been so furious with himself when he’d lost Yugi to the Orichalcos seal.

Before Yugi could think of something,  _ anything  _ to say, Atem chuckled, as if he hadn’t just left Yugi completely speechless. “I suppose we’ve been together for a lot longer than it feels, hmm?”

Ignoring the way his heart fluttered at the phrasing, Yugi lifted a hand and let it rest on Atem’s arm, showing that he wanted them to face each other. Inadvertently, they pulled closer together. “Atem...you know if there’s something on your mind, you can always tell me what it is.” 

It happened slowly, with care and grace and as though each movement were asking his permission, but Yugi’s breath still caught in his throat when Atem’s arms settled around his waist, pulling him closer until their noses brushed and their foreheads bumped together. It was the first time Yugi had been held like this- by  _ anyone _ \- and still, it felt like the most natural position in the world.

He loosed a breath, allowing his hands to slide up to Atem’s well-toned shoulders. His smooth, bronze skin was warm beneath Yugi’s fingers. It took all Yugi had to suppress the delighted shiver that fled down his spine. He hadn’t really appreciated just how  _ solid  _ Atem was now. He was there for Yugi to touch. To feel.

Atem’s breath was warm against his lips.

“I can still see the light in your heart, Yugi.”

The gap between their lips closed.

It was Yugi’s first kiss. Possibly Atem’s, too. It didn’t matter; instinctively Yugi ceded control to the familiarity they had always shared with one another, the familiarity that translated to the way they moved around each other. Atem’s lips were rough, but every caress was made with deep care, as though he were afraid he’d leave bruises with his fingertips. Yugi didn't know when it happened, but soon his own hands were tangling into Atem’s hair, one near his temple and one at the base of his neck, unable to pull him in close enough. The moment had quickly turned from chaste to desperate. Atem’s hands were moving over his back, his own trailing over the smooth curves of Atem’s neck, shoulders,  _ anything. _

_ Something  _ Atem did sent another shiver through his body, setting everything him on fire with a need for  _ more, _ and the gasp that left his lips only gave them freedom to  _ taste  _ as much as they felt. The slightest brush of tongues made Yugi’s knees go weak; Atem had given up on holding back and was now completely open about how much  _ want  _ he’d withheld over all those years trapped in spirit form. Yugi was all but collapsed into him, and everything about it felt  _ right- _

As suddenly as it had started, Atem was pulling away. It took all of Yugi’s will not to reach out again, pull him back in, but he knew this wasn’t the time. Instead, he let their lips separate, let Atem’s embrace recede to a hand gently cupping the side of his face. The thumb that brushed along his cheekbone was like the touch of a feather. 

“Atem-”

“A long time ago,” Atem cut in, “You explained to me that a kiss is something you do with someone you love.”

“I’m...not sure I-”

“I must say,” and there was a glimmer of something in his eyes, something  _ playful,  _ a thin veil over a sea of nervousness. “That was much nicer than I expected it to be.”

Once again, Yugi found himself at a loss for words. The warm hand resting on his cheek slid down to the curve of his neck, then gently pulled away with a final brush against his jawline, leaving his skin tingling where they had last connected.

After a small, silent eternity, Atem chuckled again. Soft lips brushed Yugi’s forehead.

“Goodnight, Aibou. You really should try to sleep tonight.”

Yugi stood, transfixed, until the sound of a strong frame retreating back up the stairs had long since faded. It took him several moments to remember how to breathe again.

Since the two spirits had stopped sharing one body, Yugi had been unable to fend off the empty feeling in his chest that made itself obvious whenever he was left alone to his thoughts for longer than a few minutes.

He brought his fingertips to meet his lips. He could still  _ feel  _ every movement; the way they had moved together, so achingly familiar that they might as well have been doing it all their lives, embracing more than they were kissing and pouring every ounce of emotion they’d held for one another over so many years into one moment-

He’d been smiling, and he wasn’t sure when it had started.

Yugi glanced back at the empty stairwell yet again.

With a small sigh, he turned to rinse out the little plastic Mickey cup. By the time he made it back up the stairs, down the hall and into his bedroom, Atem was already asleep, quietly snoring with his back to Yugi’s side of the bed. Careful not to disturb him, Yugi found his way back under the covers. Their feet touched under the blanket.

The only sound in the room was that of Atem’s deep, even breathing; something he’d had to get used to since they’d started sharing the room with separate bodies.

Yugi closed his eyes.

The emptiness faded away.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading!  
> As some of you may know, I've been really focusing on my Puzzleshipping chapter fic for a while now. I haven't really posted a one-off on here in a while, so I took a few days off of writing the main story to try out an idea I had :) I had a lot of fun getting this out of my system, so I hope you all enjoyed reading it!  
> As always, I appreciate any feedback you can offer. But I also want to put out a request: What are some fun one-shot ideas for this pair? I usually love Tumblr inspo, but I can never find any when I need it. Oh well! (I've been focusing on more angsty, serious ideas lately. I'm always down for more of these, but lighthearted and fluffy is good too!)  
> Once again, thank you all for reading! :)
> 
> (send some love on tumblr!: anonymous-lizard)


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